


dream lantern

by reversemagician (himaAlaya)



Series: nandemonaiya [3]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, Hanahaki Disease, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 10:05:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11666934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/himaAlaya/pseuds/reversemagician
Summary: “Your friend called me to tell me today was particularly bad.” How did he know that? “He saw you hunched over in the hall on your way to lunch.” Oh.





	dream lantern

**Author's Note:**

> back at it again making painful things

This wasn’t his first time at the clinic. His friends had managed to get him to at least see Takemi about his health. It had been getting worse, and it wasn’t doing him any favors to ignore medical attention. He knew that he wasn’t able to do everything by himself, but that didn’t seem to stop him from trying. She ushered him inside the moment he stepped through the door. He didn’t remember calling her, or even telling her what was wrong. Ryuji. It had to have been Ryuji.

She gestured for him to sit down on the exam table, and she took her place at her desk. “Take off your shirt.”

“Wait you don’t-”

“Your shirt, take off your shirt.” She gestured at him with her pen. “And I mean off not just rolled up.”

He hesitated, shrugging off his jacket quietly. He should have gone home to change first, there were too many layers to his uniform. “Your friend called me to tell me today was particularly bad.” How did he know that? “He saw you hunched over in the hall on your way to lunch.” Oh.

“Hurry up I don’t have all day.” She watched him expectantly as he lets his suspenders fall off his shoulders. He grabbed at his shirt, hesitating again.

“Can you turn around?”

She did as she was asked, spinning around in her chair and tapping at a few keys as she took notes. Akira could only imagine ‘hesitant’ was being added somewhere to his actual file and not the one she kept for her experiments. He pulled his shirt off, not without some trouble. He felt short of breath even after just that. How he’d even manage to get dressed this morning, let alone put on his binder by himself this morning was a mystery.

“I need some help.” It was barely above a whisper. He knew there was no shame in needing help, but there was something about this that felt like it was too much for him. Takemi silently turned around in her chair and slid forward. 

“Must be pretty bad if you can’t do this yourself today.” It wasn’t a jab at him, it sounded too soft to be one. “I’m going to feel your ribs as I do this, is that ok?” He didn’t respond, simply obliging her and lifting his arms. It was much faster than if he had done it himself, her deft fingers easily removing the fabric. He breathes in slowly, taking as deep a breath he can as she carefully presses her fingers into his ribs. He winces, trying not to move too much as she pokes at all his tender spots.

Some people say that bruises bloom like flowers, it’s far too poetic to describe something so ugly. It wasn’t far from the truth though, dark contusion spreading from his torso down his body. Takemi doesn’t say anything as she turns him around gingerly. Ribs don’t usually leave such a visible mark, it was almost always beneath the skin. Her hands felt cool against his skin. A stark comparison to how he felt all the time lately, feverish and on the verge of fainting. 

She marked a few things down, lifting his arm up to check the sides from the back. It was faint, a petal shaped mark tinged slightly yellow. She let his arm drop unceremoniously, and he made a pained noise at the sudden movement. Takemi didn’t say anything, quickly checking his binder for any signs of stray petals that could have made an imprint. Nothing. 

“I have some bad news.”


End file.
